Community Vision, the Program Executive of the California FreshWorks Fund, has provided $6MM in NMTC financing to support the development of a new, 45,000 sqft, full-service Vallarta Supermarket in northwest Fresno. freshworks-logo-footerThe new supermarket will bring quality food options to a neighborhood with very limited access to fresh foods.

This will be Vallarta’s third store in Fresno, and its first in the central Fresno area. According to Fresno City Council member Esmeralda Soria, who represents the surrounding district, the store will fill a glaring need for easier access to fresh foods in the community since the closest supermarket is nearly two miles away. The local community has not seen the development of a new grocery store in over 15 years.

Vallarta, a leading Hispanic supermarket chain, features a variety of fresh produce, as well as an onsite tortilleria, panaderia and carniceria where customers can order specific cuts of meat.

In addition to greatly improving food access for surrounding low-income communities, the new store will also revitalize a vacant Brownfield site and create almost 200 new jobs. The store is now under construction and is expected to open in November 2016.